Speech writing is one of the key aspects in preparation for public speaking. The speaker maybe familiar where the speech will take place and have the right visual aids but none of these will matter if the speaker didn’t take time to write a speech.
The speaker has to literally write down everything that he or she has to say in order to fully prepare for an important event. Through speech writing, everything will be considered which means the speaker will be reminded of the topics that need to be discussed.
Speech writing does not necessarily involved writing what you are about to say in the speech. If you’re writing for yourself, speech writing preparation is practically making notes on what you should (or shouldn’t) say.
Notes on Occasion and Theme
The first two things that you should take note as preparation for your speech is the occasion. Know exactly why you were invited to speak. This will give you a good idea on how to start your speech. There is a big chance that your speech will not be effective if your prepared speech do not go with the occasion.
Knowing the occasion is essential since this will help you determine the right theme for your speech. Your theme should support the occasion or at least provide additional information about the occasion. One of the main reasons why a person is invited for a speech is their expertise on a certain subject. Connect your expertise to occasion so that your can use or take advantage of what you know.
Notes on Your Audience
Your notes on your public speech will never be complete or even disastrous if you do not make ample consideration of your audience. Write about the people who will be listening to your speech. Take note on what could make them laugh, get interested or the words and actions that will offend them. Your notes should be a reminder on what you should or shouldn’t do during the speech.
Another data that you might want to include in your notes is the notable personalities who could be attending the occasion. While you may not necessarily greet them by name, their presence should help you know the significance of your speech.
Creating Structure
A structure is considered the backbone of your speech. This will guide you on how you should discuss your chosen topic. Structuring your speech is very important since this will help you prepare the right information so that your speech would be compatible to your audience or even control the length of your speech.
A speech is practically divided into three parts: opening, body and closing.
• Opening – your opening statement is probably the most important part of your speech in terms of gaining interest of your audience. Never start with something generic or expected as the crowd will ignore you not only at the start but on the rest of your speech. To grab their attention, start your speech with something thought provoking or something humorous. If you notice a considerable reaction from your audience, your opening has been effective.
• Body – the body of your speech is where you extensively discuss the theme of your speech. In your outline, enumerate the subtopics that you will be discussing. If there are certain data you want to emphasize, be sure to write them so that you will be able to talk about it in your speech.
If you’re concerned about the length of your speech, keep it short and simple. Focus on three points so that you don’t end up presenting a very long speech without proper conclusions.
• Closing – your closing statements is as important as your opening statements. These are the statements that will usually stay in your audience mind for a very long time. For that reason, your thought provoking statements should be reserved for the closing. Along with proper summarization, thought provoking statements will help your audience remember your speech.
Reworking the Draft
Your first draft and outline of your speech should never be the final version. Give yourself a day or two of research on the occasion and theme and then go back to your draft. There should be some additions or changes in your draft which will help you significantly improve your speech.
